


Throwing Off the Kid Gloves

by RainingInExile



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Gen, Magic Revealed, Merlin's Magic Revealed, Mild Hurt/Comfort, throwing guantlets
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-11-08
Updated: 2015-11-08
Packaged: 2018-04-30 14:59:19
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5168132
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RainingInExile/pseuds/RainingInExile
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a sorcerer shows up to challenge Arthur to a duel, Merlin steps in and takes the challenge before he can get to it. On the bright side, Merlin has some time to pack before his secret is revealed in the fight. On the downside, it's going to be a lot harder to protect Arthur while Arthur's trying to have him executed.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Throwing Off the Kid Gloves

The sorcerer appears in the throne room in a cloud of green smoke and blue sparks. He is a middle aged man with hair is a light brown that curls around his ears and a robe woven of a deep green fabric. Merlin would be tempted to laugh at the image if the man's obvious ability with magic wasn't such an immediate threat.

The knights draw their swords but the sorcerer speaks a few words of the old tongue and lines of fire draw themselves along the floor, forcing them back and creating a large center aisle up to the throne.

Arthur stood from his throne at the man’s arrival, and he takes a few more steps forward with his sword in hand at the sight of the flames. Merlin takes a couple small steps forward as well, wanting to be as close as possible in case the sorcerer tries anything.

“Arthur Pendragon. I have heard that you are an honorable king.” The sorcerer says, strong and firm.

Arthur nods, frowning at the man, and the sorcerer smirks. He removes a black leather glove and throws it to the floor several feet in front of him.

Immediately, Arthur takes a step toward the glove, and Merlin knows Arthur will feel duty-bound to accept the challenge, regardless of the challenger. His knights try to move forward to intercede, but the fire is still keeping them at bay.

“Sire!” Leon calls, clearly alarmed, but Merlin knows Arthur won’t listen even as the other knight opens his mouth.

_Leon needn't worry,_ Merlin thinks, shoving aside the feelings of panic and dread as he darts forward ahead of Arthur and swipes up the glove.

There’s a moment of stunned silence, and then Arthur breaks it sounding somewhere between outraged and panicked. _“Merlin!”_

The sorcerer looks between them and laughs. “So be it. Clearly your servants are well trained, King of Camelot.” Arthur glares daggers at the man as he turns to look at Merlin properly for the first time. “Tomorrow at noon in the field. We shall each choose our own weapons and fight to the death.”

Merlin nods, carefully stoic, and the sorcerer laughs again, shaking his head, before disappearing in another cloud of magical smoke.

Merlin fingers the glove as the fires swish out and decides it’s pretty well made, if of a lighter material and less durable than the usual gloves of Camelot's knights.

“Merlin, what the hell were you thinking?” Arthur demands, rounding on him immediately and looking murderous. The few people who had been in the hall besides them and the knights quietly edge toward the exit for fear of collateral damage.

“I was _thinking_ that you have no way to fight magic and I didn’t want to see you dead tomorrow.” Merlin says, crossing his arms stubbornly.

“So you’re just going to die for me then,” Arthur says. “And delay my own fight with the sorcerer until the day after tomorrow.

“That’s not going to-“ Merlin tries to get in, but Gwaine interrupts him.

“Merlin, you’re brilliant!”

The rest of the hall turns to look at Gwaine with a mixture of anger and confusion. Merlin frowns.

“What are you on about?” Arthur demands, glaring at Gwaine.

“He’s bought time!” Gwaine explains, looking at them all like they’re idiots. “Tomorrow Merlin can withdraw and we’ll have had nearly a full day of extra time to come up with a solution.”

“Withdraw?” Merlin says with a raised eyebrow. Like hell is he going to take the coward’s way out.

“It’s not like you’re a knight, Merlin.” Gwaine says, more gently this time. The affection in his smile would be nice if he weren’t being such an arse.

“So you’re saying just because I’m a servant I have no honor?” Merlin demands.

“Nah, Merlin. We know you’re a brave little spitfire, but it’s not going to lose any face for Camelot if you thrown in a strategic towel.” Gwaine explains. “I promise not to tease you about it and I’ll punch anyone who does.”

Merlin smiles despite himself at the offer and Gwaine grins.

“So what are we going to do about him?” Arthur asks, apparently much more relaxed now that he doesn’t think Merlin’s going to be actually fighting the sorcerer. Merlin sighs, but doesn’t correct them. It will be good for them to have a contingency plan anyway, in case he trips over a rock and impales himself on a wayward spike or something. Or in case anything like this happens again when Merlin isn’t around to protect them.

“We should just ignore the challenge and arrest him,” Leon says, ever the voice of caution and reason. “Sorcery is still illegal in Camelot.”

“I’m not sure this sorcerer is going to be easy to apprehend.” Elyan points out.

“I won’t deny him the chance for a fair fight.” Arthur says, looking deep in thought.

“He’ll be cheating, Arthur. One sword alone is no match for a sorcerer.” Leon says, clasping a hand on the King’s shoulder.

Merlin leans back against one of the pillars and just listens to them go back and forth for a while among themselves. His attention is mostly on Arthur, who doesn’t add anything to the discussion for a long while before he says, “What if we used magic to fight magic.”

Merlin’s breath feels abruptly like it’s stuck in his rib cage and he freezes in his spot. Thankfully no one seems to notice.

There’s a hushed silence for several long moments, and it's Leon who finally breaks it, “Sire, what do you mean? We can’t just hire a sorcerer for fight him for us.”

_But you could certainly ask one nicely._ Merlin thinks, feeling dizzy.

“There are certain artifacts in the vault which have magical properties. Some of these might be used to fight the sorcerer,” Arthur says, and abruptly Merlin feels a strange mix of bitter disappointment and resignation. Arthur doesn’t know about him. He’s not so changed that he would consider turning to a sorcerer for help.

The discussion doesn’t go much longer after that, and it’s decided that Arthur and a few of the knights will go to the vaults and consult the inventory to see if they can’t find anything of use.

Gwaine is the last of them out of the hall, and he looks back at Merlin with a smile tugging his mouth up on one side. “Coming, Merlin?”

“I’d love to,” Merlin says, “But I still have a couple of chores to get through.” He tries to look slightly disappointed without looking so upset that Gwaine will try to bring him anyways.

“Ah, better luck next time then.” Gwaine says, waving and turning away. Merlin breathes a relieved sigh and goes to find Gaius. The physician is going to kill him, but he might also know of an offensive spell or two that might help Merlin in the duel.

\--

“You, _what?_ ” Gaius demands, his expression thunderous as his voice rumbles through the room.

Merlin squares his shoulders. “I had to. Arthur was going to accept the challenge himself and you know he would never let anyone help then.”

“Merlin, you won’t be able to beat the man without using your magic.” Gaius says, waving his hands around in agitation. Merlin feels more than a little guilty to be putting Gaius through this, but it doesn’t change his resolve.

“I know. That’s why I’ll also be packing tonight.”

Gaius goes quiet at that, face drawn in a way that makes him look a decade older. “There must be another way.” He says, but even he doesn’t sound convinced.

“The sorcerer teleported, so I have no way of finding him before the match, and I can’t let Arthur try to go up against him alone, even if he does have a magical artifact that might be able to help him.”

“Magical artifact?” Gaius raises an eyebrow.

Merlin winces and summarizes the conversation that happened after the sorcerer was gone. “You don’t think there actually is something down there that would work, do you?”

Gaius shrugs. “There might be. I’m not sure any of it will be of use to anyone without magic, but I don’t know all of the things that are down there.”

“Maybe I should have gone down with them after all.” Merlin muses.

“No,” Gaius says, “Leave that to Arthur. You have some reading to do and I want you to get a good night’s rest. You’ll need to be at full strength tomorrow if you’re going to battle this sorcerer _and_ run away.”

\--

“Morning Merlin!” Gwaine announces loudly and cheerfully as he slams open the door to Merlin’s room the next day.

Merlin halts in the middle of shoving one of his shirts into his bag, back to the door. He’s distinctly aware of nearly all his few worldly possessions spread out on the bed in front of him. Nothing magical, thank the gods, but packing up everything he owns is incriminating in its own right.

Sure enough, Gwaine pauses in the doorway, a tray of food in one hand, and surveys the room with a critical eye. “You plannin’ on going somewhere?”

**Author's Note:**

> Drop me a comment if you like this so far, I'd really love to hear what you thought :)
> 
> Pro tip: More reader response = faster updates.


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